Chapter Four

Chapter Four

‘oh crap.’ Erin thought as she looked into the handsome but red cheeked face of the man she’d knocked over in the record store a few days previously. She looked at him as he struggled, unsuccessfully to get his annoyance under control.

“What the fuck? Did you follow me here? Not content with trying to smash my brains in or scald me with coffee, you’re now trying to choke me to death? What is it with you and coffee?” he ranted at her.

Erin took a step back, easier now she was wearing flatties, and smoothed her suit down. Putting a smile on her face, she bravely stuck out a hand.

“Mr Sambora, my name is Erin Matthews and I’ve been hired by, “ she wrestled a piece of paper from her pocket, “TBJ Management as a live in PA and, er, cook.”

Richie stopped his ranting and took a long hard look at the woman in front of him. Ignoring her outstretched hand he stalked past her and into the hallway.

Erin’s smile faltered as she watched him walk out. She had the feeling that this was going to be the shortest job she’d ever had. She could hear him shouting out in the hallway and, knowing that she’d have to go that way to leave, she walked towards it.

“…that fucking crazy woman I told you about! The one who tried to brain me after dousing me with hot coffee…..no I’m not!…..she just tried to choke me to death with another cup of coffee…..fuck it man!…..yeah? I don’t need food that bad!…..what the fuck do you mean there’s no one else willing to live in?, don’t they know it’s me? Oh pull your own head outta your own ass!! She’s a fucking moron, I’m telling you!” Richie caught a glimpse out of the corner of his eye and turned to see Erin standing in the archway, totally stricken, her face flushed.

‘shit!’ he swore under his breath, “Yeah yeah I hear ya bro. yeah and fuck you too!” with a crash he hung up the phone and turned to Erin who was just staring at him.

For the longest time they just stared at each other. Richie took in the elegant chignon and the grey trouser suit and swore under his breath again.

Finally Erin’s nerve broke and she moved towards her suitcase.

“I’m sorry to have inconvenienced you. If you could just move a little,” she started as she managed to ram her suitcase into his bare foot,” I’ll be on my way.”

By now she was having trouble seeing as she was blinded by a film of tears. It was bad enough that Richie thought she was a complete moron and klutz, but what was worse was the feeling that she’d let herself down. How was she going to explain this to Gwen and Jamie?

She wrestled with the large, cumbersome case and as one of it’s wheels got caught up in a free-standing coat rack she just stopped dead in the middle of the hallway.

“Fuck it!” she cried out, feeling an errant tear slip down her face. First Michael, now this?

Bending down she tried to prise the wheel out of the wooden arch it was trapped in but to no avail.

“Oh fuck it.” She said, softly as she just stared at the case, “Not you too.” she muttered to the black material covered case.

Richie watched as she struggled, unsuccessfully, with her case. He could see she was getting more and more irate with it but his foot hurt, dammit, and he had no intention of helping her. Until he saw the tear fall down her soft face.

“Hey, hey, stop, stop, you’re going to either injure yourself or break my coat rack. So let’s go back into the kitchen and start again. I would offer you coffee but a) I have no idea how to work the damn machine and b) I’m kinda afraid you’ll use it to kill me or at the very least injure me in someway.” He smiled at her and held his hand out.

Erin looked up at him and huffed, momentarily, before allowing him to pull her to her feet. She followed him back into the kitchen and proceeded to make some fresh coffee.